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How much do you use the things you buy?

Week in week out we shop. One of our favourite pastimes is to go to a mall and window shop; very soon window shopping becomes actual shopping.

The things we buy usually are:

Books

DVD

Clothes

gadgets

magazines

grocery

vegetables

perfumes

Watches

Jewellery

trinkets

Stationary

The list can go on and on. I am sure you can come with a similar list or even a more comprehensive one.

In addition to this we subscribe to magazines, buy comics, subscribe to all kinds of channels on satellite TV.

As I look back to the past six months, I am amazed and also stunned. A thought immediately struck me.

How much of what we buy do we actually use?

There are many books I have not yet read

There are many magazines I have not read-Example-Harvard Business Review

There are movies (DVDs) we have not yet seen (Last Saturday I subscribed to a home delivery movie rental agency)

There are channels on my TV I have never seen

There are regular channels I have not watched for a long time

I have not used my Nikon D80 SLR for a long time

I have not used my Sony Camcorder for a long time

We have not used our printer and scanner for a very, very, very long time

I have one more TV neatly packed in a box

I have 18 hours of digital video tapes not yet processed and burnt on DVD

I think I will stop here because this is becoming a really long painful list.

The point I am driving at is this:

We buy a lot of things (It costs money to buy) and we use it very erratically or do not use it at all.

We need to take stock of stuff we buy/subscribe. and we need to use them to our advantage. I think systematically planning to use the stuff we have and using them is the sign of prosperity and plenty; Otherwise you may have everything and still live an impoverished life.

We need to have gratitude for all the stuff we have and use them wisely.

Take stock! Are you doing justice to the effort you put in and the money you spent?

Look around you and use the stuff you have wisely. It is the best foot you can put forward to live life prosperously.

2 comments:

Sandi B
said...

Very good advice especially with the economy the way it is right now. Another thing to ask, do you really need to get in the car and drive to wherever or can it wait? Since I started thinking this I only have to fill my gas tank once every two weeks instead of once or twice a week.

Another great point. I am struggling with this malady as we speak. I have unopened boxes from Amazon of things I bought because it was a "good deal" and buying things makes me feel good (for about 10 minutes). Even tho I know I am in financial crisis, I continue to spend. It is almost like if I spend the money then it means I am not struggling after all. I need to join AA for spending money! I think this situation DEMANDS some serious reflection on my part. Thanks for the eye opener!

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